“Apple has released iOS 7.0.6, a minor update to the operating system that resolves a security issue,” Jacob Kastrenakes reports for The Verge.

“The issue revolved around SSL verification, though Apple hasn’t yet described exactly what was going wrong,” Kastrenakes reports. “Presumably, it was important enough to warrant releasing an update to fix it now rather than bundling it into iOS 7.1, a large update to iOS 7 that Apple has been beta testing for several months now”

Apple wants Bluetooth on for iBeacons. I understand this but still find it annoying as I generally keep it off unless I need to use. BT keyboard. It’s going to be hard to convince people that Bluetooth Low Energy uses less energy than BT of yesterday.

I’m a bit surprised, seeing as the signal range for BTLE is half that of the already lousy range of regular BT, and the bandwidth is about 1/3 the minimum of regular BT. But that’s what Apple’s using! I suppose it’s adequate for a shoebox sized retail shop. It’s going to require repeaters in any large store, which in and of itself will be a mess due to how Bluetooth links hardware.

I’m curious, exactly how would they advertise that these are 64-bit devices, so that those who would want to buy them could actually understand what 64-bit is supposed to mean? I have several colleagues around me, all IT support people, who don’t quite understand the advantages (beyond the ability to address higher memory addresses).

Telling the world that Apple’s is the only hardware and OS that supports 64-bit architecture is the same as telling them it supports Open GL 4.1, or CoreImage, Quartz 2D, or CoreAnimation… They will have absolutely no clue what you are talking about.

The scale and ability of math calculations along with the ability to address larger files common to corporate applications are mandatory. Are you suggesting that we abandon today’s 32-Bit and use 16-Bit? Do you not believe that 64-bit required to play realistic games? There are so many reasons that 64-Bit is required which is why almost all PC are 64-Bit now. Is yours a 32 0r 16-Bit CPU?

My OS is 64-bit (OS X and iOS 7), as are my CPUs, and I’m fully aware of the benefits and advantages.

The problem (and the argument I was trying to make) is, try explaining this to an ordinary person. They have no clue what 64bit means any more than what Open GL, or CoreImage, or Quartz 2D means. For them, this is all gobbledygook and about the only hint that 64-bit would be better than 32-bit is that it is a higher number, and usually higher means better, whatever it is that it might be better at.

“iOS 6.1.6 is now available and addresses the following:
Data Security
Available for: iPhone 3GS, iPod touch (4th generation)
Impact: An attacker with a privileged network position may capture or modify data in sessions protected by SSL/TLS
Description: Secure Transport failed to validate the authenticity of the connection. This issue was addressed by restoring missing validation steps.
CVE-ID
CVE-2014-1266″

“Apple TV 6.0.2 is now available and addresses the following:
Apple TV
Available for: Apple TV 2nd generation and later
Impact: An attacker with a privileged network position may capture or modify data in sessions protected by SSL/TLS
Description: Secure Transport failed to validate the authenticity of the connection. This issue was addressed by restoring missing validation steps.
CVE-ID
CVE-2014-1266″

BLN is once again conspicuously absent from these proceedings. It may be due to another MDN ban for flagrancy, or it may be that his attention is diverted to diplomatic concerns at The Hague, or to banking issues at the Federal Reserve Board.

In any event, I can temporarily fill in for our truant friend… 🙂

iOS 7 needs more than a few tweaks, it needs to be deep-sixed. By now Tim Cook ought to realise his error in throwing Scott Forstall overboard, because it’s apparent that Jony Ive’s spent undue energy polishing his chamfers at the expense of preserving recognisable UI elements for us common folk. No one cursed or puzzled over iOS 6. It just worked. Now we have a clown show, a travesty, a reduction of a once glorious OS to a pale imitation of Android and Windows. Colour me dispirited.

I’m a bit perplexed, as I’m not sure whether the preceding was your own opinion, or were you truly trying to fill in for the missing BLN. If the latter, you’ve done an admirable job at channeling his general sentiment, even if it were a bit more eloquent than what one would usually get form BLN on the subject of iOS 7 (not to mention the British coolur spelling).

However, if the sentiment is genuinely yours, I’m a bit surprised, as I had been under the impression that you fell into a camp of those who champion forward thinking, especially in the visual domain.

For me, iOS7 was initially a bit of a shock, but after four months on it, looking back at my brother’s iOS6 is positively arcane and antiquated in every respect. I am truly surprised at how significantly my opinion of it has changed so quickly.

As surely as perplexity can be a sign of our brain trying to solve it’s own obstacles, as can the opportunity more often be denied and we continued to be the same. Opportunities lost.

Who are you Predrag to doubt whether hannjhs or anyone elses opinion is this or that, changed or not. That baffles me. Try to put on some coat of respect instead of this nonsense from you: “..surprised, as I had been under the impression that you fell into a camp of those who champion forward thinking…”.

Well, you can be perplexed and surprised as you want. But, at the same time you show no perplexity nor surprise about your own change of mind about your now “arcane and antiquated” IOS6, even though it took you only 4 months to change your mind! That probably could perplex others.

Just saying…. differences of opinions, BLN’s or hannajhs, mine or yours is accepted and tolerated. Not disrespect – try swallow that yourself.

You must have missed my final sentence (“…I am truly surprised at how significantly my opinion.. has changed so quickly”).

Hannah has responded for herself below, and it seems that I may have misread her reaction. Generally, on the subject of the iOS7 and the visual changes it brought, there are two camps here at MDN: one that hates it with passion, the other that has embraced it and is fine with it. It appears that Hannah is somewhere in between, and because she didn’t display BLN’s usual passion against, and frustration with, the iOS7, I had assumed she is in the other camp. She responded below to clarify this.

I am just a bit taken aback by your reaction here (“…put on some coat of respect instead of this nonsense…”), since I didn’t think I would offend anyone (other than perhaps BLN, for whom it would likely be a bit of a taste of his own medicine). Here on MDN, the voices of those who dislike iOS7 seem to drown out the “silent majority” of those who are happy with it (such as myself). On occasion, I would make an effort to add some balance to this discussion, lest it appear that the world hates the new iOS, which is apparently simply not so (with 84% of iOS users today on 7). I absolutely respect those with a difference of opinion, but there are often situations where a very small minority receives an outsized voice, and I’m not sure that is fair.

Another point I wanted to make, but forgot: I think I now understand better the vilification of the UI and its design team. In a word, it’s personal.

The smartphone is the most personal of personal computers, less a tool than an intimate interactive item of apparel, engaging its owner through sensory interactions. When misplaced, separation anxiety happens. These are indications of a close companionship, beyond mere anthropomorphism.

Thus when your companion returns from a makeover with florid hair, or bleached skin, the emotions are set on fire.

None of it takes away the intellectual brilliance of your companion, yet you simmer with cortisol poisoning and fixate on the meddlers who disfigured your pride and joy.

That post of mine was a bit of a departure, as I try never to speak for another, but I judged BLN would forgive my gentle lampoon. I did include a smiley emoticon but they sometimes vanish in the still buggy MDN iOS app. Note to self: signal intent more directly.

My initial reaction to the iOS UI redesign was unsurprise. Rumours and leaks had preceded its release, if you’ll recall, about removing skeuomorphic aspects, following Microsoft’s flat tiles, borrowing from Android, going minimal.

Thus when it arrived we were inured to the changes, or should have been. At any rate there erupted an outcry at Apple’s murder of skeuomorphic elements and embrace of primitive icon design and colouration.

That took me aback at first. Later, detailed complaints from many quarters made me alter my original benign view of the new interface. I have played both sides of the debate because my mind keeps changing on this issue, as you admit yours had. If 7.1 doesn’t result in a truce, maybe a future version will. We can all only hope for an end to the rancour over what, in the great scheme of things, amounts to a trivial annoyance.